The conference service feature is available in communication networks in addition to the usual service features such as call diversion or call answering. When a conference is convened, the individual conference participants are notified, by e-mail or by telephone for example, about the location of the conference or the conference area, the type of conference and the time. Enabling this type of information to be notified to the respective conference participants mostly requires comprehensive research into the current location of the respective conference participants and about the network and conference resources to be used.
If, in accordance with these notifications, five conference participants take part in a conference at three different locations or conference areas for example, the conference is mostly set up from one of the three locations, usually the location at which the conference participant initiating the conference is present, at the agreed time—for example a telephone conference or audiovisual conference. To this end the connections are established or switched through in the communication network—for example the telephone network—to the terminals or telephones at the further conference areas or locations at which the further conference participants are located or have been invited with the aid of conference equipment.
WO 2004/114662 A1 describes a conference system for setting up conference connections in which a person does not require any knowledge of the required systems if they wish to have a conference with a specific person. The person selects a person for the conference and the appropriate systems and the conference locations are selected with the aid of the conference system. The selection is made by using a priority list containing prioritized conference locations provided for each conference participant in addition to other resource availabilities, system options and location of the person etc.